


Stitched with Love

by MommyMaleficent



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Crochet, Daddy Charming, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Mommy Snow, Non-Sexual Age Play, little Emma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-29 19:52:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11447880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MommyMaleficent/pseuds/MommyMaleficent
Summary: A stitch in time saves nine, they say, but how many times is too many? Snow White has a surprise for Emma!Hint: it has something to do with yarn!





	Stitched with Love

“Okay, so. We start with the magic circle, and the usual six single crochet. And then increase in each stitch to make twelve in the second round... and then a single and an increase both on the third to make eighteen, and... ugh.” Snow sighed, leaning back against the couch while dropping her needlework into her lap. Repetition, repetition. She couldn’t say _amigurumi_ properly but she knew she was done with making them.

Thankfully, David came to save her sanity. He came into the living room in a gray tee and plaid shorts, followed by a large yawn and his arms in the midst of a stretch.

“And what are we making today?” he asked, settling next to her on the couch. She leaned into him as he wrapped his arm over her shoulder and gave it a nice rub. “Another bear?”

She chuckled. “No.” That bear had a face that was as lopsided as his silliest grin, and as much as she loved it, since it was her first attempt at crochet toys, it was hardly good enough to give anyone. Certainly not good enough for Emma.

He kissed her forehead and picked up her current project, careful not to loosen the hook from the four chain stitches she did. He examined them before putting it back in her lap and grabbing the pages of the pattern she printed and stapled at the library just yesterday. She furrowed her brow as he made a face.

“David? What is it?”

He shrugged. “Isn’t a swan a bit... too early a project for you to tackle? It says intermediate-advanced right there on the top, and you’ve only been at this a week. Did your embroidery lessons include crochet or am I thinking of knitting?”

“I-I was hoping I could learn as I went.” She smiled sheepishly. “Google stitches I don't know and... hope for the best?”

David smiled, and shook his head gently. He wouldn’t stop her, not when he could have a helluva time watching her try. “I look forward to seeing the fruit of your labor, Snow. But why are you doing the four-chain method rather than the magic ring? Wouldn’t that make the hole bigger?”

Crap. He was right. “What if I like it this way?” she tried to retort, but he wasn’t listening.

“And don’t forget to hide the tail. Crochet over it when you're on the second round, and then snip off the ex—” David laughed when she weakly pushed him away with her shoulder.

“I know what I'm doing!” Snow laughed. “It’s only been a week, but I know that much! I just... don’t have the patience right now is all.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her temple. “How about a massage, then? I thought your wrist would be sore by now, but I noticed you lock your shoulder a lot.”

“My wrist is totally fine,” she said, and flicked it to prove her point. Then, with a coy smile, she added, “But I wouldn’t say no to a massage...”

They made sure to get everything out of the way first beforehand. A welcome break.

* * *

Later that evening, when Emma was all ready for bed and reading herself a story, Snow came into her room with the lopsided bear hidden behind her back. Somehow, her _charming_ husband convinced her to give it to her.

“She’ll love it,” he said, “You put so much effort and love into it. Maybe you can make her the swan for her birthday. It’ll give you more time to get it just right, just like you want.”

Of course, he had a point there. So, here she was.

“Mommy?”

Emma was staring at her, her long blonde hair in pigtails with the pink ribbon tied in bows. She hugged her book to her chest as she sat up and crisscrossed her legs, facing her mother curiously.

“What's wrong, Mommy? You kept looking at me for a long time.”

Snow smiled. No matter how old she got, Emma would always be her little girl. “I was just thinking about how beautiful you are, baby.”

Emma cocked her head, but smiled too, hiding her eyes at the compliment. “You're beautiful too, Mommy. The beautifulest mommy in the entire world.” She scooted over when Snow came and sat at the edge of her bed.

“Emma,” Snow began slowly, “Mommy has a small surprise for you. Can you close your eyes and hold out your hands for me, please?”

“Mmhm! I can do that,” Emma said, nodding, and to demonstrate, she squeezed her eyes shut and showed her mother her hands, palms up, ready to receive whatever Snow was about to give her.

Snow White inhaled a breath, and pulled out the bear with the lopsided face. It was a small teddy in terms of height, and she might’ve overstuffed it, if such a thing were possible, and it took the entire week to make because despite her determination she _was_ still only a beginner... But she made sure to use the acrylic yarn that wasn’t super scratchy, and she only bought the one pound skeins because she didn’t want to run out (and she hadn’t quite mastered the invisible join yet), and she made sure Emma didn’t catch her putting it together just in case.

She parted Emma’s hands and placed the body of the bear into them. Emma gave it a hesitant squeeze and her smile grew a little wider.

“It’s so soft... is it a doll?” she asked. “Can I open my eyes now, Mommy?”

Here it was. The moment of truth.

“Yes, baby. Open your eyes.”

Emma did. She looked down at the bear in her hands and gasped, almost dropping it. She slowly examined it all over—the ears, the arms, the legs, the face. She looked up at Snow with her mouth still agape... and suddenly her face crumpled and she began to sob, loudly, pressing the bear to her and cradling its head to her chest as she leaned forward and cried into the blanket on her bed.

Snow was at a loss for words. The worst case scenario in her mind was Emma throwing it back at her and asking why she gave her such a stupid surprise before maybe bursting into tears. But skipping all that and going straight to crying? She must hate it more than she thought.

She began rubbing her back just as David dashed up the stairs and leaned against the door frame to catch his breath.

“Emma, baby...” Snow said softly, trying desperately not to cry herself, “Mommy is so sorry—”

“Why?!” Emma cried, sniffling a little as she sat up and looked up at her, still holding the bear close to her chest. Her sudden outburst startled Snow into flinching and the tears that welled up in her eyes to fall. “Mommy, w-why are you c-crying?” Emma dropped the bear in her lap to reach up and clumsily tried to wipe away the fat tears that were now rolling down her mommy’s cheeks. “Don't cry, Mommy, please, I'll be good—”

Snow blinked, and swallowed. “A-aren’t you upset because you don't like it?”

Emma shook her head vehemently, and her voice grew louder and more raw with every word. “No! No, Mommy, no! _I love it_!” And to prove it, she picked up the derpy bear and hugged tight with all her might. “Iloveitsomuch!” she sobbed.

After regaining a little of her composure, Snow exchanged a worried glance with David, who came over and took a seat right behind his wife.

“It’s just...” Emma continued, sniffling, “No one ever made me anything before...” This invited a whole other round of sobbing, and with her bear in hand she crawled to sit in her parents’ laps to be comforted. They willingly obliged. “Blankie doesn’t count! I don’t remember it!” she cried when they reminded her about her baby blanket.

“That doesn’t mean Ruby’s Granny didn't make it for you, princess,” David reasoned.

Emma sniffled, and looked at him after she wiped her nose on her sleeve. “But I want to remember, Daddy! I want to!” He didn't argue with her, merely kissed her forehead and ran his hand through one of her flowing pigtails before saying he was going to get Emma some water. When he'd gone, she turned to Snow, her face red and blotchy, and gave her a watery smile. “Thank you, Mommy. He’s the bestest, most handsome bear in the world and I love him with all my heart just like I love you and Daddy. You made him special.”

Snow pulled her baby closer, touching their foreheads together and the tips of their very hot, very red noses. She kissed Emma’s. “I'll make you as many bears as you want, sweetheart.”

“Teach me too? Teach me to make bears and other soft things? Please, Mommy?” pleaded Emma, batting her lashes.

And Snow laughed despite herself. “Of course, sweetheart. Of course. We can learn to crochet together, okay?”

With a weak squeal, Emma went in for a cuddle, one in which David happily joined when he returned. Emma, Snow, David, and the little crochet bear with the crooked face.


End file.
